Mariinsky Ballet and Opera theatre backstage tour on 28 May 2017

You have unique opportunity to discover the secrets of one of the most famous
theatres in the world. As the backstage tour is completely closed for
general public, we will make sure that you have an experience of a
lifetime.Accompanied by a Mariinsky Theatre special guide, you will
visit the theatre areas that are usually inaccessible to the
public.One of the most fascinating things in the theatre is it's size.
The areas that are open for the general public is about 1/5 part of the theatre.
It is a lot of interesting things on the both sides of the
curtain.You will hear about the history of the theatre - the main
Ballet and Opera stage of the Russian Empire, about premieres, about world
famous composers, dancers, singers and artists who worked at the
Mariinsky.You will see how a performance is engineered and how the scenery
is made. It is also a unique opportunity to see scenery painting by famous
Russian artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.You will visit splendid White
Hall at the foyer, where Russian Tsars spent time during the imtermissions. Also
you will look at the stage from the Tsar's (President) Box, where Russian
Tsars and their guests used to enjoy performances.Main part of the tour is
the legendary stage, where you will see a lot of suprises. One of them - magical
picture that usually available to the artists only - view of the auditorum from
the stage. You will see stage machinery, some of that were made in 18th and 19th
centuries.Also you will visit stage properties workshop. On the numerous
shelves, there are everything that is needed to make a "special world" on the
stage of the theatre - from the "Nutcracker" rats' masques to the "Swan Lake"
mirror figures of the swansOne of the most fantastic parts of this
excursion will be Golovinsky Hall (set-design area), which is located right
under the theatre's cupola. Since 18th century – this is the very place where
sets for the performances are being created.
Mariinsky backstage tour is one of the most unforgettable once in a lifetime experiences.

Many people, if asked to plan a
trip to St.Petersburg, pick two destinations – the Hermitage Museum and Mariinsky Theatre.. One can easily imagine the excitement one feels when one crosses the doors and sees the bust of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, after whom
the theatre is named, and the adjacent miniature model of the stage, with seats
the size of thumbnails, for the first time. The emotions run higher when one
takes one’s seat and watches the famous velvet curtain with its golden appliques
by Alexander Golovin – the symbol of Mariinka – and then watches the divine
dance of the charming ballerinas, or listens to the music and the voices of
famous singers...

I would like to treat my readers to a special – a rare
virtual tour of the theatre.It takes us behind the curtain, where every
step and every door hold memories about great performers, artists and
musicians.“This September we start another season in Mariinka, but this year
is special – it is 150th anniversary of the opening of the theatre’s current
venue, a truly historic building. The theatre itself is older – for its Musical
Company this season is No. 228. It was old enough for Alexander Pushkin himself
to dedicate verses to it. Yet its name stems from the building, erected in 1860
by architect Albert Cavos. The then Emperor, Alexander II, decided to give the
new venue a romantic name, and it was christened after his wife, Maria
Alexandrovna.

The main hall of Mariinka is unique among opera theatres
thanks to its “lyric” colours – usually you see red and gold in the opera, but
here it is gold and blue. The balconies and the boxes form a delicate golden
horseshoe over the orchestra, with the largest box, the Tsar box, located right
in front of the stage, sporting blue velvet curtains. The painted ceiling
depicts noontide – if a spectator lifts his head up, he will see twelve bucolic
maidens dancing hand in hand with cupids, and twelve medallions depicting
Russian playwrights, such as Kapnist, von Wiesen, Ozerov, Prince Shakhovskoy,
Gogol et al. This hall is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful in the
world. Its crown jewel is the three-tiered crystal and bronze chandelier. Its
total weight is 2500 kg, and every year, before the season starts, the
technicians will manually lower it from its place 20 meters up in the air down
to the floor and wash each and every one of its 23 thousand (!) crystal
pendants. There is a legend that the chandelier would hum melodically when
Chaliapin was performing. At one point the acoustics of Mariinka were considered
the best in Russia, and it was an entirely Russian production. A special
acoustical addition was thin wooden panelling that provided for a very delicate
musical balance. But probably the most surprising thing is that this building on
the Theatre Square of St.Petersburg, erected where the Theatre-Circus once stood
(it burnt down), called at the time the most modern theatre building in Europe,
took only one year to build.

We go up the stairs to the level of the Tsar
box and reach the main lobby, also called "White Hall", adjacent to a "Napravnik Lobby"
named after the legendary conductor who lead Mariinka
orchestra for more than 50 years, from 1863 until his death. Napravnik was a
very modest man, a friend of famous Russian composers: Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Rimsky-Korsakov. He is the one responsible for making the Russian opera the
cornerstone of the Mariinka repertoire, having conducted premieres of several
dozens Russian scores.He was also the creator of the unique performance
style of Mariinka – a precise one and one that follows the composer’s text to
the very letter. His punctuality was also legendary – he was “the clock” for his
musicians, who would jokingly mark the precise time they have to start their
parts in the score.

But the staircases do not end there, so one can go up
to the very top, under the cupola, and reach the famous Golovinsky Hall, a
repository for the “art history” of Mariinka. It was there that artists such as
Golovin, Benois, Bilibin, Korovin, Fedorovsky, Virsaladze would paint the future
opera sets. The foldable sets, even the largest full-size backdrops are painted
here even now – the enormous hall with its oval windows that seem to open up to
the grey St.Petersburg sky, is ideal as a location for that type of work. Even
its air is thick with legends – it was the hall’s floor that bore an oil
painting of Chaliapin’s feet, for it was here that Golovin painted the famous
singer in Boris Godunov’s attire and several other stage costumes.And this is
just one such story that Mariinka teems with.

Mariinsky Theatre Virtual Tour

The Mariinsky Theatre represents a unique cultural force on the world stage among performing arts organizations. Its touring schedule and residencies abroad total more than 200 performances each year and span the globe, from North America, to Europe, Asia and beyond. The Mariinsky‘s artistic impact and its ambassadorial role on behalf of Russian culture have been recognized by governments and international organizations alike.
The Mariinsky Theatre was established in 1783 following a decree by Empress Catherine the Great to stage the first Russian comic operas and the best works of foreign composers. The current theatre building on Theatre Square was opened in 1860. The theatre‘s magnificent decor of dazzling white sculptures, lustrous gilt chandeliers and light blue upholstery created the perfect atmosphere in which to herald in St. Petersburg‘s golden period of operatic history.
In 1862, Giuseppe Verdi‘sLa Forza del Destino premiered on
the Mariinsky stage and opened the door for the premieres of Russian
masterpieces such as Boris Godunov (1874), Prince Igor (1890),
and The Queen of Spades (1890). The Mariinsky Theatre, under the baton
of Eduard Napravnik, quickly took its place among the world‘s leading opera
houses. The theater‘s ballet company under the director of Marius
Petipa was equally distinguished, premiering Peter
Tchaikovsky‘sSwan Lake and Sleeping Beauty and
influencing the development of classical dance for generations to come.At
the beginning of the 20th Century, legendary artists such as Fyodor Chaliapin,
Anna Pavlova and Vladislav Nijinsky graced the Mariinsky‘s stage. Under Soviet
rule, the Mariinsky Theatre was renamed the Kirov Theatre, a change which did
not alter the high quality of its artistic productions or affect the supreme
talents of the dancers, musicians and singers performing on its stage.In
1988, Valery Gergiev was appointed Artistic Director and Principal
Conductor of the Kirov Opera. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the
theatre reverted to its pre-Revolutionary name, and in 1996, Gergiev was named
Artistic and General Director of the Mariinsky Theatre. Under his leadership the
Kirov Opera, Ballet and Orchestra have continued to garner worldwide praise.

You can cancel or change the date of the backstage tour for any reason and receive a full 100% refund !
Cancellations and changes are possible up to 14 days (2 weeks) before the backstage tour date.
Please note that the tour should be bought in advance, it is best to buy it not later than 1 month before your visit. It is not possible to buy the tour in less than 1 week (7 days) before your visit.

World famous Mariinsky Ballet and Opera - established 1783 backstage tour

All the vehicles for transfers meets the highest requirements, including air condition or the climate control.
Transfer can be made from a hotel, apartment or other place.
We will drive you to the theatre. Driver will wait for you during all the tour. The vehicle will wait for you at the same place where you leave it.
After the tour, we can drive you back to the hotel, apartment etc. or we can drive you to any other place, e.g. restaurant, museum, etc.

Choose number of visitors: Transportation price: US$0.00 (US$0.00 per person)